2023 World Championship Rankings

97 kg - Abdulrashid Sadulaev

With Russia permitted back into international competition, world/Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev comes in at the #1 based on his 3-1 career record over Kyle Snyder. Despite the losses to Sadulaev, Snyder is the clear #2.  At last year's worlds, Snyder took out Magomedkhan Magomedov, Mohammad Mohammadian, and Batyrbek Tsakulov. On top of those wins, Snyder took out Givi Matcharashvili and two-time 92kg world champ Kamran Ghasempour at the World Cup last December. Most recently, Snyder had a close, 3-2 win over Matcharashvili in Budapest. 

The parity at 97kg after Kyle Snyder is remarkable. Mohammadian, Matcharashvili, Magomedov, and Tazhudinov have all been impressive over the past year and could push Snyder and Sadulaev. It's also worth noting that Tsakulov struggled at the World Cup and European Championships but his world silver last year is enough to keep him as a contender in this weight.